Israel puts growing defense ties with Morocco on display at Marrakech Airshow
The exhibition ended Saturday after Israel’s first official national pavilion in Morocco featured major defense contractors and technologies ranging from loitering munitions to autonomous systems.
Israel used the Marrakech Airshow, which ended Saturday, to mark a new stage in its defense relationship with Morocco, opening its first official national pavilion at a defense exhibition in the country and sending an official Israeli Air Force delegation for the first time.
The participation was the first of its kind since the two countries normalized relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020. It brought together eight Israeli defense companies and senior military representatives at a time when cooperation between the countries has expanded beyond diplomatic ties into defense procurement and military technology.
The pavilion, organized by the Defense Ministry’s SIBAT directorate (The International Defense Cooperation Directorate), featured three of Israel’s largest defense companies, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael, alongside ASIO Technologies, Orbit Communication Systems, SHILAT Optronics, UVision Air and XTEND Systems.
The companies presented technologies spanning loitering munitions, artificial intelligence-powered robotic systems, autonomous navigation for unmanned aerial vehicles, laser guidance for first-person-view drones and satellite communications. The Defense Ministry said the delegation also held meetings with international delegations and officials during the exhibition.
The Israeli Air Force separately sent an official delegation led by the head of its Training Department, identified by the military as Colonel A. The delegation met with senior air force officials from several countries, including the commander of the Royal Moroccan Air Force. The military said the visit was intended to strengthen ties and advance cooperation in defense and technology.
The event did not, in itself, establish that new contracts had been signed. Its significance was instead the public and institutional nature of Israel’s participation, with the Defense Ministry and Air Force both represented at an exhibition in a country that has become an increasingly important defense partner.
The relationship has developed since the two countries restored formal ties in 2020. In November 2021, Israel and Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation, providing a framework for closer military and industrial ties.
Previous CTech reporting has detailed the commercial dimension of that relationship. Morocco has acquired Israeli drones and artillery systems, while Israel Aerospace Industries has sold the country Barak 8 air defense systems. A separate intelligence satellite agreement reported in 2024 was valued at approximately $1 billion.
The commercial relationship may be expanding further. Calcalist reported this week that IAI was in advanced negotiations to sell its LORA ballistic missile system to Morocco. No deal value was disclosed, and the negotiations had not been reported as a completed agreement.
